V Festival (Chelmsford) 2005
Saturday 20th to Sunday 21st August 2005Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 8WQ, England MAP
£110 w/e (with camping), £90 w/e (no camping), £52.50 day - SOLD OUT
The weather was typically British, it was warm enough to get through the day without having to put anything warmer than a T-shirt on, however it did spit with rain towards the very end of the evening.
With Oasis topping the bill, it was obvious that it was going to attract a crowd that really dont usually go to festivals, and this had a detrimental effect on the atmosphere due to the typical loutish behaviour from some of their fans.
However at least the organisers in their wisdom had made sure that for the genuine festival veterans there were plenty of other great bands to go and see which were situated as far away from any Oasis louts.
The headliners need no explanation, and it was obvious that both Oasis and Scissor Sisters have proven that they are able to put on a fantastic show and keep an audience entertained. Both bands were certainly worthy of headlining slots. But like with all major headlining acts - you know exactly what to expect from them.
There were quite a few pleasant surprises from bands that were playing lower down on the bill - Kaiser Chiefs were totally mind blowing, and are sure to be headlining a festival very shortly.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable weekend, although the loutish behaviour of some individuals did dampen the atmosphere slightly.
review by: Luke Seagrave